Kohli's extended summer break
Plays of the day from the first ODI between India and West Indies in Kochi
Devashish Fuloria
08-Oct-2014
No joy yet for Virat Kohli • BCCI
Kohli's extended summer break
Virat Kohli's reputation took a hit during the English summer. Every other day, experts deconstructed how his angled bat was the reason for his failures. Umpteen replays showed how match after match, he kept edging. James Anderson's celebrations diminished in intensity as the series progressed; Kohli's wicket was a given. The home series against West Indies was supposed to bring joy, and Kohli's push through wide mid-on was a signal in the first ODI. However, as Jerome Taylor found away movement, Kohli found his edge.
Virat Kohli's reputation took a hit during the English summer. Every other day, experts deconstructed how his angled bat was the reason for his failures. Umpteen replays showed how match after match, he kept edging. James Anderson's celebrations diminished in intensity as the series progressed; Kohli's wicket was a given. The home series against West Indies was supposed to bring joy, and Kohli's push through wide mid-on was a signal in the first ODI. However, as Jerome Taylor found away movement, Kohli found his edge.
Kohli's fielding has been a nightmare too. Today, he took one catch at long-off. In the last over of the innings, another chance came his way. Kohli moved to his left at long-off and got into position to take the overhead chance, but the ball bounced out of his hands to land over the boundary. The ghosts of the summer were still around.
Six and out
The West Indian batsmen love their sixes. Dwayne Smith had hit one early in his innings off Ravindra Jadeja. As the bowler came to bowl his third over, Smith greeted him with a straight hit that went all the way, but in trying to repeat the shot next ball, Smith missed and was bowled. Little did Darren Bravo, watching from the other end, know he was going to meet the same fate. He drove a flighted delivery from Amit Mishra over long-off for his first six, and was caught at the boundary the very next ball as he tried to repeat the shot.
The West Indian batsmen love their sixes. Dwayne Smith had hit one early in his innings off Ravindra Jadeja. As the bowler came to bowl his third over, Smith greeted him with a straight hit that went all the way, but in trying to repeat the shot next ball, Smith missed and was bowled. Little did Darren Bravo, watching from the other end, know he was going to meet the same fate. He drove a flighted delivery from Amit Mishra over long-off for his first six, and was caught at the boundary the very next ball as he tried to repeat the shot.
The tandem effort that wasn't
Mohit Sharma, from long-on, covered good ground towards the sight-screen to cut off a Smith straight drive in the 15th over. He swooped low, picked up the ball cleanly, and as he was losing balance he lobbed the ball towards Ajinkya Rahane, who had run all the way from mid-off. However, Mohit's lob wasn't controlled or accurate, which meant Rahane had to run back towards mid-off to gather the ball, resulting in an extra run.
Mohit Sharma, from long-on, covered good ground towards the sight-screen to cut off a Smith straight drive in the 15th over. He swooped low, picked up the ball cleanly, and as he was losing balance he lobbed the ball towards Ajinkya Rahane, who had run all the way from mid-off. However, Mohit's lob wasn't controlled or accurate, which meant Rahane had to run back towards mid-off to gather the ball, resulting in an extra run.
The field-placement reversal
Two short balls from Taylor in his second over were emphatically pulled for boundaries by Rahane, prompting Dwayne Bravo to push square leg back and bring the fine leg in the circle in Taylor's next over. Taylor, however, served up a ball he shouldn't have - a half-volley on the pads. Rahane flicked it fine, to the right of the short fine-leg fielder. Three balls later, another fuller delivery was glanced through the left of that fielder. Dwayne Bravo quickly went back to his original field of having the fine leg out and square leg in.
Two short balls from Taylor in his second over were emphatically pulled for boundaries by Rahane, prompting Dwayne Bravo to push square leg back and bring the fine leg in the circle in Taylor's next over. Taylor, however, served up a ball he shouldn't have - a half-volley on the pads. Rahane flicked it fine, to the right of the short fine-leg fielder. Three balls later, another fuller delivery was glanced through the left of that fielder. Dwayne Bravo quickly went back to his original field of having the fine leg out and square leg in.
Bravo! The opening
Dwayne Bravo had opened the batting in ODIs before, twice to be exact. The ploy hadn't been successful though, highlighting why it had not been tried in the last six years. But with Lendl Simmons injured, Bravo, the captain, took the responsibility and strode out to partner Smith. He played like an opener too, crunching two length deliveries from his Chennai Super Kings team-mate Mohit through covers off the back foot, all along the ground. However, it wasn't too long before his natural instincts took over. He tried to play a lofted drive against an away-swinging Mohammed Shami delivery, but edged it to slip.
Dwayne Bravo had opened the batting in ODIs before, twice to be exact. The ploy hadn't been successful though, highlighting why it had not been tried in the last six years. But with Lendl Simmons injured, Bravo, the captain, took the responsibility and strode out to partner Smith. He played like an opener too, crunching two length deliveries from his Chennai Super Kings team-mate Mohit through covers off the back foot, all along the ground. However, it wasn't too long before his natural instincts took over. He tried to play a lofted drive against an away-swinging Mohammed Shami delivery, but edged it to slip.
Devashish Fuloria is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo